The ABCs of BatCat
by IronHeartWriter
Summary: A set of 26 oneshots in ABC order with various BatCat themes. In Progress.
1. Alive

**AN: Hello, there. This is the first of this set of the ABCs of BatCat. I'll be -attempting- to write 26 oneshots in ABC order, with various ratings, usually T through M ratings. So, without much further ado, Let's see how this goes.**

* * *

Selina carefully slid through the window that let her into Wayne Manor. The house was freezing and dark. When she exhaled, she could see her breath. She shivered slightly as she started to move through the empty house. The place felt like it should be haunted. It probably was. But at that moment, she didn't care. Bruce Wayne was dead, that was all she knew at that moment.

"Fuck," Selina gasped softly as she felt her heart clench painfully as she thought of him. _Him_. The fucking bastard. How dare he…. All for a city that would never be grateful enough for his sacrifice. He died a martyr, sure. But in the end, she was left alone.

She wasn't supposed to care. Caring wasn't in her nature. She'd been hardened to the world from the time she was first sent to a correctional facility at the age of sixteen. She was barely old enough to drive, and yet she was old enough to have one hell of a record. No family to bail her out, she'd broken out herself and provided for herself ever since.

"_That's a brazen costume for a cat burglar."_

"_Yeah? Who are you pretending to be?"_

"_Bruce Wayne, eccentric billionaire. Who's your date?"_

"_His wife's in Ibiza. She left her diamonds behind, though. Worried they might get stolen."_

"_Mm. It's pronounced Ibeetha. You wouldn't want any of these folks realizing you're a crook, not a social climber."_

"_You think I care what anyone in this room thinks of me?"_

"_I doubt you care what anyone in any room thinks of you."_

Selina's body had gone rigid at the sudden memory. These flashes had been coming every so often since that damn bomb had exploded. It was almost scary to her how vivid they were. She shook her head and cursed softly. She had a job to do, before the vultures descended on what remained of Wayne Manor to turn it into the home for disadvantaged boys that had been all over the papers that morning. She walked silently through the West Wing of Wayne Manor, through the very room where she had first met Bruce Wayne in his recluse days. The target where he'd nearly nailed her hand with an arrow stood abandoned, still with the same three arrows in place. Looking back, she knew now that if he had meant to hit her, he wouldn't have missed.

She turned and walked back to the old sidetable that she knew to contain a safe. She knelt down in front of it and popped open the doors only to see that the safe was already open, and empty. The painful trip over there had been for nothing. The necklace was already—

"I had a feeling you'd return."

To say it was easy to sneak up on Selina Kyle would be akin to saying that it was easy to sprout wings out of one's back and fly. She had jumped when she'd heard the soft voice. She didn't know why she hadn't assumed that he would be there, but as she turned to face Alfred Pennyworth, her heart fell slightly. If anyone had a reason to be destroyed after Batman disappeared with the bomb, it was the man standing right in front of her.

"You left him," Selina hissed at last, her words cold as ice. She finally had someone standing right in front of her that she could direct her own pain at. And the longer she looked at Bruce's former butler, the angrier she got. "You were the one person in this world he truly trusted and you _left_ him when he needed you most."

Alfred approached her and every muscle in Selina's body tensed, "You can't even begin to fathom the regret I feel right now, Ms. Kyle. Though, I hear you were around him right before he—"

"I begged him to come with me, to run," Selina snarled, standing her ground as she glared at the older gentleman, cutting him off before he could finish his sentence. "I begged him to leave this godforsaken town with me when it became clear that the bomb was going to cost him his life. What did you do? You left him. You left him when he needed you the most."

"And there isn't a thing I regret more than that, Miss Kyle," Alfred said in a soft voice. Selina could hear the pain in the elder man's voice, but she couldn't bring herself to pity him, not when the man, the one man that Bruce had trusted with everything, had abandoned him. "And, if you're here looking for those pearls, you're too late. They're gone."

"Gone?" Selina repeated, blinking hard. She tilted her head in curiosity. "What do you mean 'gone'?"

"Someone made away with them before you and I both got here," Alfred said. Selina laughed darkly. Of course, that was just her luck. Whatever. She had just been after those pearls because they were the one thing she felt like she could have to hold onto after the hell she'd gone through. But now that those were unattainable, she felt no reason to remain in Gotham any longer. She turned her back on Alfred and without a word, she backflipped out of the nearest window, very much like she had on the day she'd first encountered Bruce.

The days following that were something of a blur to Selina, when she looked back on them. She'd been packed and ready to leave Gotham at a moment's notice for months, ever since Bane had started causing chaos. She'd made her way to New York City, and with little trouble, managed to secure an apartment for herself in a matter of days. She'd already used the Clean Slate, Bruce's only gift to her, and with all the money she'd accumulated over time, it was more than easy to settle down comfortably. She had lived out of a suitcase for about a week or so before starting to make her new home livable. She forced herself to forget about Gotham, to attempt to move on, to find a release.

It wasn't easy, though. She was plagued by nightmares of Bane's rule of Gotham, and the final battle with him. Selina might have killed Bane herself, but the war wasn't won by her, it was won by Bruce flying that bomb over the river and sacrificing himself. The nightmares haunted her both during the day, and at night; sometimes it was just the sound of Bruce's back breaking when Bane slammed him on his knee, other times it was her last conversation with him.

"_You could have gone anywhere, but you came back."_

"_So did you."_

"_I guess we're both suckers."_

She'd wake up then, as she remembered kissing him for the second time, her heart pounding against her ribcage, and the tears pouring down her cheeks. She rarely cried, hell, she hadn't cried since the day she came home and found her mother dead, at least not that she could remember, but every time those nightmares came around, she was powerless against him.

She might have survived that battle, but she wasn't living. She couldn't stomach most foods, and the only time she ever truly felt human was when she was running, which she did often. She started to notice changes; her clothes hung loosely on her, dark circles formed under her eyes. She'd never had bags under her eyes. Her reflection repulsed her, but still she ran as though she could somehow escape her problems by running, but every night it was the exact same thing; fall asleep, have nightmares, wake up shaking and crying, repeat. Now she knew how Bruce had felt, all those years, and in all honesty, she couldn't blame him.

Autumn fell in New York City, almost six months after Selina had relocated there, and she was still running, despite the drop in temperature. She'd had to buy herself new workout gear as her old set was too loose for her new form. She liked to run in Central Park. The trees were all changing color and Selina found the sight somewhat comforting; though she might not be able to move on in her life, at least time was still passing by, and life was going on for most others. She stopped by one of her favorite spots in the park, right by the river, and she sat down beside it, taking a sip from her water bottle as she caught her breath.

Six months she'd been living like this. She no longer stole to survive, but lived off of what she'd earned while living in Gotham. Now all she ever seemed to do was skulk around her new apartment and run once or twice a day. Food? Who needed food? She was lucky if she managed to stomach one full meal a day. She wasn't living, she was surviving. For the first time in her life, Selina knew sorrow. She didn't even know how to begin to rebuild the person that she had been.

A slight movement from the corner of her eye caught Selina's attention. There was a man, or at least, Selina thought it was a man, sitting on a nearby bench, his face hidden by a newspaper that he was reading. Selina was pretty sure she'd seen that man over the last few days, always in the same spot, always with his newspaper. She hadn't really thought much about him, but she couldn't help but feel like he had been watching her. She rose to her feet and looked out at the water, but as she did, a flashback hit her hard. The vision of watching the Bat rise into the air, watching it disappear into the distance with the bomb, watching it explode in a mushroom-shaped cloud with the bomb still attached to it and –

Selina hadn't even realized that her knees had buckled, until she felt someone holding onto her, and the moment she realized it, her self-defense instinct kicked in. She pushed the person holding her up away with a growl, realizing that it was the man who had been reading his newspaper on the bench. He fell over, his long-ish hair falling over his face, "Sorry," Selina said roughly, clearing her throat slightly, her voice hoarse from non-use. "I didn't mean to—"

She froze as the man looked up, familiar green eyes meeting hers. She swallowed hard, not believing what she was truly seeing, "You…."

Bruce Wayne cleared his throat as well as he sat back on his heels, looking up at Selina. He knew he was in trouble, "Selina, don't get angry…."

It was too late, though. Selina launched at him, her dark brown eyes blazing as she punched Bruce hard over and over again, punching every inch of him that she could reach. She knew, had he wanted to, Bruce could have easily stopped her, with all his years of League of Shadows training, but for some reason, he wasn't stopping her. He took every last punch, letting her get each one out until she too sat back on her heels and glared at him, vaguely aware of a pain rising through her right arm, "You _are_ real, aren't you?"

Bruce inhaled slowly through clenched teeth. He wasn't even sure where to begin processing the pain that was now coursing through his body thanks to Selina socking him over and over again. He was pretty sure he'd heard a loud crack somewhere between the tenth and fifteenth punch, but he wasn't sure, at that moment, whether it had come from his body or Selina's, "You tell me," He growled through clenched teeth. "You just punched me about twenty times. Jesus, Selina, are you sure you weren't trained by the League of Shadows?"

"If you're real, why didn't you fight back?" Selina growled right back, her eyes continuing to blaze at him. Bruce swallowed hard as he wasn't sure she wasn't about to launch at him again. He felt his body tense, ready to defend himself, just in case Selina did go for him again.

He finally managed a wry smirk as he and Selina stared at each other, "Look, I wouldn't beat up a woman, any more than you would beat up a cripple." Selina scowled at the echo of her words as she got to her feet at last, feeling the pain continue to rise along her arm. She held onto it gingerly as she began to pace back and forth.

"_How_ are you alive?" She demanded at last, pausing mid-stride to glare at Bruce once again, who had also gotten to his feet. "And how did you find me? At least twelve million people on this island and you manage to find me…."

"I fixed the auto-pilot on the Bat not long after Fox gave it to me," Bruce said at last, he saw a flash of pain pass over Selina's face, and he wasn't sure whether it was the realization that he had lied to her, or her arm that had caused it. "I needed everyone to believe that I died then, Selina."

"Everyone," Selina echoed. "You mean _everyone_ who ever bothered to give a damn about you?" She hissed. She glanced down at her body and shook her head, "When my knees gave out just now, I was having a flashback. I saw the Bat flying out over the river, and you supposedly dying in it. That's _all_ I've been having these last six months; flashbacks and nightmares and panic attacks and crying fits—"

"You've been crying?" Bruce blinked. Somehow, he'd never imagined Selina as the type to cry over his death, she had always seemed much more closed off than that….

"I'm a goddamn human, you selfish son of a bitch!" Selina snarled, finally lashing out once again and slapping Bruce across the face with her right hand. She almost instantly regretted it as she felt the pain shoot through her arm. She clenched her jaw and inhaled slowly through her nose as she stood tensed, unsure of how Bruce would react to her slapping him. He said he wouldn't beat up a woman, but she clearly wasn't the normal woman any more than he was the normal man.

"Selina," Bruce said at last. He looked down to the arm that she was cradling in her left and frowned, "Are you alright?"

Selina looked at Bruce as though she had never seen him before, "Am I _alright_?" She echoed. "I've been living like a zombie for the last six months, going through hell because I was certain that you had died in that explosion, and then you all of a sudden turn up and ask me if I'm alright? Are you out of your freaking mind, Bruce?"

Bruce couldn't help but smile as he heard Selina's question, "Maybe I am," He admitted with a shrug. "But, you know what? I _am_ alive, Selina. I'm alive, breathing, and aching, now that you mention it, probably due to being punched at least twenty times, but something tells me that you're in more pain than I am right now." He glanced down at her arm, "And that question was directed at your arm. I thought I heard a crack while you were walloping me."

Selina inhaled slowly through her nose and frowned, "Well, that would be just _awesome_; you fake your death, and I'm the one with the arm that's probably broken. How kind of you."

"Hey, you can't blame me for this," Bruce said, though his tone was kind. "You were the one punching _me_." He stepped towards Selina and saw her tense as he did so. He held up his hands up in surrender, "Relax, Selina. I just want to see your arm. Trust me, I've had enough injuries of my own to be able to tell if your arm is really broken."

Selina hesitated for a moment before she held out her arm. She felt a small jolt pass through her as Bruce gently took her arm and slid the sleeve of her sweatshirt up. Her arm, to her, seemed thinner and less muscular than it ever had been, and Selina watched as Bruce's reaction as he realized that as well. Sure, he himself looked beaten up, but he still seemed as muscular as always, just like the last day she'd seen him. His touch was enough to remind her that he was real. He was truly standing in front of her, examining her arm, as though no time had passed between them.

Instantly, Selina wrapped an arm around Bruce and pulled him close, kissing him deeply for the third time. She held him close, her heart racing as a low, possessive growl escaped Bruce's lips to her's. She slid her hand up beneath his shirt, feeling him shudder beneath her touch. Her hand rested against his chest, feeling his heart thundering powerfully against his ribcage. He was truly there with her, standing in front of her. He was alive.


	2. Bathtub

AN: Hello again! Thanks to everyone who put this on alert and commented. The reviews really mean a lot to me. Please take note of the new M rating. I hope that doesn't discourage everyone from continuing to read. Oh! And feel free to comment with suggestions for chapters D and on, I love suggestions.

* * *

Selina was bored. She hated being bored. Winter had come to New York, and they were hit with a bad snowstorm. She was itching to go out and run, but all she could do was sit at the window and stare out at the snow, wishing that it would end. She could barely see out of the window to begin with, and that drove her crazy. She sighed and glanced over her shoulder at Bruce. He was fiddling around with the laptop that he had bought himself recently, but even she could tell that he was bored. She finally stretched out and sauntered lazily over to the couch, "I'm bored," She sighed as she curled up, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Bruce closed his laptop and arched a brow at Selina, "I hadn't realized, the way you were curled up in front of the window, and the loud sighs you made every five minutes," He smiled and rubbed Selina's leg gently. He frowned as he felt her lean muscles tense, and he shook his head, "You know, one day, you're going to have to stop tensing every single time I touch you." He looked Selina's face up and down as though he were trying to memorize it. He did that a lot. He seemed to like looking at her, for some reason that she couldn't seem to grasp. She sighed softly and closed her eyes, leaning back on the couch, pinching the bridge of her nose.

When Selina opened her eyes, Bruce was closer to her and her cheeks burned slightly. She wasn't used to someone being so close to her like Bruce currently was. The two of them cuddled at night, but the look he was currently giving her showed something else entirely, "Um…."

"You're really so beautiful," Bruce said in a soft voice. He reached up and moved his fingers through Selina's dark hair, knowing that Selina was watching him carefully. He also knew that he was taking a risk as he slid a little bit closer to her and kissed her softly. It had been over a week since he'd moved into Selina's apartment in New York, and that first day, she had kissed him, but after that, they had barely touched, aside from the occasional cuddle in the middle of the night.

"Bruce," Selina sighed, resting her forehead on his. She never let men get to her. She had used them many times over to get what she had always wanted, whether it be jewelry or money, men were supposed to be disposable to her, but then along came Bruce Wayne. He had changed everything she thought she knew about who she was.

"Yes, Selina?" Bruce asked at last, leaning his forehead on hers and smirking at her. He could see the resistance in her eyes waning, and he moved his hand up to cup her cheek, feeling her skin burn beneath his touch.

"Kiss me again," Selina said in a soft voice. Bruce's smirk grew and he leaned back to her, not needing to be told twice. He kissed her again, this kiss deepening quickly as Selina unfolded her legs and stretched out before pulling him close, wrapping her arms around his neck. A low groan escaped Bruce's lips and Selina felt the desire surge through her body. She slid her hands along Bruce's form, pulling his shirt off as she went. She had to admit, she loved Bruce's body. The scars told stories of his days as Gotham's protector. Bruce seemed to have been bred to protect, and that was something that attracted her to him even more.

"Bruce," She breathed against his lips before she pulled back slightly, her mind suddenly snapping back to its senses. She sat up again, her cheeks burning, "Bruce, I'm sorry…."

Bruce sat up, biting down on his lower lip. He inhaled slowly and moved his fingers through his hair, "No, it's fine," He said in a low voice, though his mind was filled with a haze. Damn woman. She was so damn frustrating sometimes. One second she'd be sending him one signal, and the next….

"I'm going to go shower," He said at last, feeling like all his nerves had suddenly wound themselves up. Selina bit down on her lip as he got up from the couch. She liked the way he moved, and she was internally kicking herself for pulling away from him. What the hell was wrong with her?

Bruce paused on his way to the bathroom and leaned against the doorjamb for a moment, "Selina, one day, you're going to have to stop fighting me. I hope you realize that. I'm not out to hurt you."

He retreated to the bathroom, then, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he looked around the bathroom. He decided that a shower wasn't what he wanted, but a bath. The bathtub was large and spacious, and in the back of his mind, Bruce thought how nicely it would fit two people. He turned on the water and adjusted it to the perfect temperature. He rid himself of the rest of his clothes and slid into the tub with a soft sigh, his mind wandering to Selina.

In the living room, Selina groaned. She was feeling both bored and restless now. She was still kicking herself for letting Bruce get close, and then pushing him away. She seemed to have a habit of doing that when it came to him. She felt bad, though. She wanted to let him in; she just wasn't sure _how_ to let him in.

_May as well just tear the wall down_, Selina thought to herself, biting down on her lower lip. She'd played the seductress many times in the past, why should now be any different? Beating around the bush truly wasn't her style. She got to her feet and walked over to the bathroom door. She tried the doorknob and found it unlocked. She felt a smirk appear on her face as she saw Bruce relaxing in the bathtub, his back to her. She walked to him silently and put her hands on his shoulders. She felt him jump before he looked up at her, "What are you doing?" He asked, tilting his head as he looked at her.

"I'm doing exactly what I should have done on the couch," Selina responded in a soft voice. She bent down and kissed the back of his neck before moving her lips along to the side of his neck. She felt his muscles tense and relax beneath her lips and hands, before her hands snaked along his bare chest, into the water.

Bruce laughed softly and stretched out a bit, "You know, there's more than enough room for you to join me in here, if you want," He said, smirking up at her. He saw her expression change slightly before a glint appeared in her eyes.

"Okay, then."

"Really?" Bruce blinked, sitting up a bit in the bathtub. He turned around and watched Selina as she straightened up and pulled off her top. His eyes widened appreciatively at the black lace bra that she wore beneath it. He felt something stirring deep inside of him, and down below his waist. God, Selina was a tease, if nothing else. She sat down on the edge of the tub and let her fingers dangle in the water. Bruce shifted a bit to play with her fingers, "I'm telling you now, if you don't get in this tub with me, I'm going to pull you in here with me, with or without your clothes."

Selina grinned, "Is that a threat?"

Bruce tugged on Selina's hand, his smirk still in place. She grabbed onto the edge of the tub with her free hand and rolled her eyes, "Okay, okay, I'm coming."

"Not yet, you're not," Bruce rolled his eyes as he relaxed back against the tub. His eyes glinted with mischief, "But don't worry, if I have my way…."

"You pervert," Selina rolled her eyes again as she unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down her legs. Bruce watched her, and as he watched her, his body ached for her. She removed her bra and panties as well, standing bare before Bruce. He had to admit, he liked what he saw. Selina bit down on her lower lip as she stepped towards the bathtub and slid in, the water reaching her shoulders.

"Selina," Bruce sighed as the ache in his body reaching a breaking point. He inhaled slowly and mentally shook his head at himself. Seven years at a monastery and then another eight years of celibacy and Selina was breaking him down without trying too hard.

Selina smirked and slid closer to Bruce, "What's wrong, Bruce?" She asked in a teasing tone. "Cat got your tongue?"

Bruce chuckled softly and wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, "And here I thought you were above cat puns," He said in a low tone before he kissed her hard, his tongue meeting hers as Selina settled against him, her hands on his shoulders. She moaned softly against his lips and pressed against him. His hands slid up her sides before pausing hesitantly. He pulled away slightly, giving her a questioning look.

"Just touch me, Bruce," Selina said in a soft voice. She nuzzled her nose against Bruce's and rocked against him slightly, eliciting another groan from him. "I want this. Please…."

Bruce nodded once and moved his hands up her body, cupping her breasts. Selina purred softly and arched her body to Bruce's touch as she met his lips in another heated kiss, their tongues battling for control. Without another word, he shifted and pushed her back against the opposite end of the bathtub, his body over hers, "Relax, Selina," Bruce said in a soft voice, nipping her earlobe gently. "Let me take care of you for a change." His hands moved to knead her thighs gently, "You're always so in control and so guarded… just let it go."

His lips latched onto her neck and he bit her gently there, his hands snaking back up her body, teasing her nipples. Her body arched to him once again as her arms went back around his neck as a soft moan escaped her lips. Bruce continued to kiss along her collarbone, gentle nips mixed with his kisses, her body relaxing completely beneath his, "Just like that," She said in a soft voice. "I love it when you kiss my neck…."

Bruce made a mental note of that as his hands glided easily along her smooth skin, her body trembling as he dared to move his fingers lower on her body. He wanted her so badly, but he was going to take his time, knowing that Selina could snap back to her senses and push him away at any moment. But as his fingers found her core, a soft cry escaped her lips as her body bucked against his hand.

Bruce smirked against her skin, "Someone's been missing something," He growled softly as he teased the sensitive bundle of nerves at her core. Her body rocked against his fingers slightly, her heart thundering against her ribcage.

Selina clawed at the sides of the tub, her head falling back with a groan, "God, Bruce," She purred softly, her eyes rolling back a bit. "And you call me a tease…."

Bruce grinned, "Poor Selina," He said in a mocking tone. "Well, why don't you tell me what I want and then I'll see if I can help you…."

Selina's eyes flashed as she glared at Bruce. She locked her legs around his waist and tried to pull him closer, but he resisted, "Goddamn it, Bruce," She growled, a soft whine escaping her lips as Bruce's fingers stopped teasing her. She inhaled softly before clenching her jaw, "I want you," She admitted. "I want you to make love to me. Please, I can't take this teasing…."

"Fair enough," Bruce said simply a moment before his hips snapped forward and he claimed Selina as his own. Her head fell back once again and she clawed gently at his back. He growled softly against the crook of her neck before he straightened up, his hands braced on the tub on either side of Selina's head as he started to thrust into her over and over again, the sounds of their moans and cries of pleasure mixing and bouncing off the walls of the bathroom.

Bruce just couldn't get enough of her. Selina was beyond beautiful, from the way her body moved with his, to the sounds that escaped her lips, to the look she gave him each time her lust-filled dark eyes opened. She arched against him and wrapped her legs around him once again, this time to pull him closer to her, and this time, he gave in. He gave into her entirely as he watched the great Catwoman come undone beneath him. He felt her clench around him, and his name was the one thing that escaped her lips as she released beneath him. It wasn't long until he followed her, releasing everything he had inside of her, her name the one thing on his mind and on his lips.

Bruce sighed softly, his body buzzing with the pleasure he felt due to the incredible woman beneath him. He smirked at her once again, "Well, I don't think the two of us will ever look at this bathtub the same way again."

"Always so goddamn cocky," Selina commented, her fingers moving through his hair, slicking it back. She sat up a bit, her body pressing against his slightly. She leaned up and kissed him softly, a small smile appearing on her face. "But, I must say, I think I like taking baths with you."


	3. Catching Up

AN: Hello again, thank you so much for all the reviews and such. This chapter is a little bit of a filler chapter, but I wanted to answer some questions that people have been asking, so I hope this chapter clears some things up. I'm still taking suggestions for future chapters as well :3

* * *

Bruce inhaled deeply and stretched his arm out, his mind fuzzy with sleep. He yawned and opened his eyes reluctantly. The Selina's room was still dark, but he could see the sun behind the shades. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, glancing around the room. Where had Selina gotten to? He inhaled slowly through his nose once more before realizing that he smelled some food that Selina must have been cooking. He got up from the bed and pulled a t-shirt over his bare chest before padding almost silently out of the bedroom. He walked through the apartment and found Selina in the kitchen, her back to him as she cooked something on the stove. On the counter beside her was a stack of pancakes, and already on the table was a bowl of eggs, a plate of bacon, and a jug of orange juice. A glance sideways showed him a pot of coffee already made. His stomach growled, and Selina looked up.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take you to smell all of this and get out of bed," Selina commented. She smiled and walked over to him before kissing him softly. Bruce was slightly taken aback, but wrapped his arms around Selina and held her close. She smiled as they separated and she cupped his cheek, "I was thinking you and I could have a nice breakfast and we could talk a bit," She said, motioning to the table. "We haven't really had a chance to catch up since you came and found me, so what better way to do that than to do it over some food?"

Bruce grinned as his stomach growled again, "You're incredible, Selina," he said, kissing her forehead once before moving towards the table, "Is there anything that I can help you with? I wish you would have woken me up to help you with all of this."

Selina arched a brow as she grabbed the coffee pot, "Um, do you even know _how_ to cook?" She asked with a laugh. "I didn't think that you learned how to cook while living in the East Wing of Wayne Manor, did you?"

Bruce laughed and shook his head, "Yeah, never mind that suggestion," He said. He sat down at the table with Selina and started to pile some food onto his plate. If nothing else, Selina could definitely cook. "Thank you so much, Selina."

"You're welcome," Selina said with a smile as she poured herself a large cup of coffee. "So, tell me. You've had six months since that bomb blew over the river. Where were you?"

"You really do jump right to the point," Bruce commented after swallowing a mouthful of eggs. He inhaled slowly, "Well, to be honest, the first few weeks I don't really remember much aside from a bunch of bits and pieces. Lucius Fox was the one who found me. The Bat had an ejection pod that landed in the river, and while I might not have blown up with the Bat, I had a decent amount of injuries as a result of being so close to the blast. I think Lucius had me sedated for maybe three weeks before he let me start waking up for small periods." He paused and took a sip from his own coffee, "There was a family doctor that we had back when I was a kid, Doctor Leslie Thompkins, and Lucius contacted her to help me recover."

"Alfred thinks you're still dead," Selina said in an offhand way, cringing as Bruce gave her a confused look, which turned to an accusatory one rather quickly. She hadn't ever mentioned her last meeting with Bruce's former butler. "Okay, don't give me that look," She said with a roll of her eyes. "We are who we are, Bruce, and I _am_ a jewel thief. Or I _was_ one. I'm not much of anything these days, really."

"Retirement hasn't been that kind to you though, it seems," Bruce said, looking her body up and down. He was still worried about Selina, if he was honest with himself. She seemed to have lost a lot of weight since he'd last seen her in Gotham. He wondered vaguely if her Catwoman suit even still fit her.

"Yeah, well I've been having nightmares every night for six months," Selina's tone turned accusatory. She crossed her arms over her chest a little self-consciously, her eyes narrowed in a glare. "And my nightmares aren't exclusive to the night, so excuse me if I look a little less sexy than I did in Gotham; but I didn't hear you complaining that day in the bathtub. Now, go on. You were getting taken care of by your old family doctor in Gotham."

Bruce nodded, not wanting to push Selina further and have her retreat from him, "Well, my body was broken in several places, aside from my old injuries that I'm still dealing with, so I had to do a bit of rehab work to be able to move again."

"How did you find me?" Selina asked, playing with the pancakes on her plate. She smiled grimly, "Over a billion people in the world, over twelve million alone in New York City, and you managed to find me, even after I used that Clean Slate program."

"Your identity may have disappeared from any databases, but you're not invisible, Selina," Bruce said after taking a sip of his coffee. "I had a feeling you'd sink into a city that was big enough for you to get lost in. I wasn't sure at first, though, if you'd choose Los Angeles or New York, but then I realized, Los Angeles is too bright and cheerful for you." He stuck his tongue out at Selina, "I had some facial recognition programs running, and one day, your face popped up on a security camera and I knew around where you were, and it just took me some more searching before I managed to track you down."

"Yeah, that doesn't make me feel like you stalked me or anything," Selina said, though she was smiling. She took a forkful of eggs and moved her fingers through her hair. It felt amazing to finally be able to eat normally again. Since Bruce had reappeared in her life, she slowly felt her body starting to return to normal. She still had to put some more muscle back on, but she was on her way there. She didn't shake as much anymore either, and waking up with Bruce's arms wrapped around her each morning definitely helped when it came to waking up from less pleasant dreams.

"What have you been doing?" Bruce asked at last after a few moments of silence. "I mean, you mentioned meeting Alfred, and then you obviously wound up in New York somehow…."

"I went back to your house after the battle," Selina said without hesitation. More than anything, she wanted to be honest with Bruce, "Before everything was sold off and given off to various people. I wanted the necklace. Old habits die hard, you know? I went back to your house to try and steal the necklace again. I thought the house was empty, but Alfred was there. I knew, hell, everyone in Gotham knew, that Alfred Pennyworth was your butler, and I remember you mentioned him to me at some point. Either way, he told me that the pearl necklace had already been stolen, most likely during Bane's reign."

Bruce shook his head, "Alfred always treated me like a son, right up until the day that he told me about burning Rachel's letter and he left me. I hate the way that we left things between both of us. But, the necklace wasn't stolen."

Selina arched a brow at Bruce before she realized what he meant, "You moved them," She said knowingly.

Bruce nodded once, "After you stole them the first time, I moved them elsewhere. I didn't even mention to Alfred what I had done with them, and he never checked the safe without me asking him to, or I guess maybe he started doing so after I was pronounced dead…." He smiled grimly at Selina, "So, you tried to steal from me, and I tried to stalk you to New York, I guess we're even."

"Where _is_ the necklace though?" Selina asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. She got up and started to clean the plates off of the table, wondering if Bruce actually had the necklace with him.

"I guess you'll never know."

Selina looked up and glared at Bruce, "I'm sorry, what?"

"You tried to steal it from me _twice_," Bruce pointed out. Selina opened her mouth to retort, but noticed that despite his accusatory tone, Bruce's eyes weren't mirroring the tone.

"I thought we're not keeping secrets from each other anymore," Selina said in a low voice, tilting her head to the side, her arms crossed over her chest. Bruce gave her an innocent look and a shrug.

"Maybe you'll see them again someday, Selina," Bruce said, walking over to Selina and giving her arm a gentle squeeze. "But for right now, I'm the only person who knows where they are." He walked over to her and kissed her softly, wrapping an arm around her back. "Don't worry, my little jewel thief, they're safe, and so are we."


	4. Author's Note

I just wanted to let you all know that I have not abandoned this story. I was working on D and then I decided I didn't like it at all. So I was restarting it amidst starting Spring Semester, and then I got some news that a family member passed away last night. I'll update as soon as I can, hopefully by the weekend. Thank you guys for bearing with me.


End file.
